TEKsystems conducted two separate but related studies by surveying more than 2,000 IT professionals and more than 1,500 IT leaders to provide data regarding current sourcing and screening practices.

Employers are living in a complex hiring world where making a great hire is the exception, not the rule. Findings point to the increasingly important role recruitment services play in aiding organizations in the sourcing and screening of candidates, defining job requirements and helping organizations to define best practices for successful sourcing and screening strategies.

An Employee Value Proposition to Attract the Right Candidates

Being able to clearly describe the ideal employee and why a job seeker would want to work at the company is the first step to developing an attractive employment option.

With 54 percent of IT professionals actively searching for a job at least once a week, it is essential organizations get their employee value proposition in front of them.

However, only 8 percent of IT leaders strongly agree their organization has a well defined employee value proposition.

“Organizations need to understand what today’s job seekers are looking for in a job and an employer. A great recruiting partner takes the time to understand what makes the employer a distinctively great place to work and helps build an employee value proposition that stands out in the minds of an IT professional,” says TEKsystems Director, Rachel Russell.

Navigating the Sea of (Inaccurate) Resumes

To find the best talent, organizations need to have resources and recruiters that are dedicated to sourcing and networking with candidates to ensure only the best make it through. Otherwise, organizations may fall victim to faux resumes.

Thirty-five percent of IT leaders and 39 percent of IT professionals say most IT resumes contain outright lies.

Further, 63 percent of IT professionals and 77 percent of IT leaders believe most IT resumes exaggerate the job seeker’s work experience.

Job Boards a Minimum; Networking a Must for Successful Placements

Despite the fact that 96 percent of IT professionals use job boards when searching for a new job, employers need to go beyond the online world and into leveraging networking and referrals to better qualify talent.

Fifty-nine percent of IT professionals consult with a recruiter during the job search process, more than colleagues, friends and networking communities.

Additionally, 45 percent of IT professionals indicate their professional network consists of 10 or more individuals with similar experience in their network.

“Attracting the best IT talent requires organizations to have employees whose sole responsibility is to keep a pulse on the IT workforce. Given the HR department’s other responsibilities, it is extremely difficult for most HR departments to do. IT recruiters who take the time to really understand an organization’s IT needs, and who are experts on local IT labor markets, serve as a competitive advantage for many IT departments who need great people to meet business demands,” comments Russell.

Quality Screening Processes

Identifying and attracting candidates is only half the battle. It is a critical component of business success to have a quality screening process because a right hire can increase productivity and success while a bad hire can lead to losses in time, money and employee morale. Key findings from the screening research include:

Importance of a quality screening process.

Ninety-five percent of IT leaders and 81 percent of IT professionals agree that the more thorough the screening process, the better the chance of making a quality match between an employer and potential employee.

Not enough is being done to ensure a quality screening process.

Only 9 percent of IT professionals and 12 percent of IT leaders strongly agree that most companies perform technical assessments.

Painting an accurate picture of a position.

Fifty-seven percent of IT professionals do not feel that candidates receive an accurate picture of what the job really is during the screening stages.

Seventy percent of IT professionals say the average screening process provides little to no insight into critical dimensions of the jobs to which they are applying.

Speed and length of the process can greatly impact applicants’ opinions and interest in the organization.

Sixty-three percent of IT professionals responded that online applications are too long; In fact, 46 percent of IT professionals said they would not apply for a job opportunity they are qualified for due to the length of application.

“Hiring the wrong individual is a costly mistake that can cause a company thousands of dollars and force them to start the hiring process from scratch. Recruiters can serve as a great asset to a company’s HR department as they can confirm a candidate’s qualifications and potential fit,” continues Russell. “Clients need to spend time on what matters most – the interview. Working with a recruiter to source and pre-screen prospective employees allows the organization to focus on what matters most, the in-person interviews to confirm the match is right for the employer and the employee.”

TEKsystems' Rachel Russell is available for additional commentary. Please contact Paul Roberts (TEKsystems@daviesmurphy.com) to schedule an interview. For more information about the survey, including the executive summary, please contact media@teksystems.com.

About TEKsystems:

People are at the heart of every successful business initiative. At TEKsystems, we understand people. Every year we deploy over 80,000 IT professionals at 6,000 client sites across North America, Europe and Asia. Our deep insights into IT human capital management enable us to help our clients achieve their business goals - while optimizing their IT workforce strategies. We provide IT staffing solutions, IT talent management expertise and IT services to help our clients plan, build and run their critical business initiatives. Through our range of quality-focused delivery models, we meet our clients where they are, and take them where they want to go, the way they want to get there.